NILES, Ohio (WKBN) — Congressman Tim Ryan hosted a breakfast in Niles on Sunday to this year’s class of nominees to U.S. Service Academies.

That includes the U.S. Naval Academy, the Military Academy at West Point, and Air Force Academy.

One of the 13 nominees is Brooke Bailey. The Boardman teen has been accepted to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

She said getting to this point was a lot of hard work, but well worth it.

“A lot of hard work has to go into it. But if it’s what you want to do and it’s what you’re passionate about then it’s easy to kind of get through when your main goal at the end to serve your country it’s, it’s not too bad,” said Bailey.

By entering the Air Force Academy, Bailey is similarly following in the footsteps of her older brother: He’s studying at the U.S. Naval Academy.